When you think of tuition-free universities, you might immediately picture places like Germany or Norway where public systems don’t charge conventional tuition for most students. In Hungary, that model doesn’t exist in quite the same way — but Hungary does offer pathways to study tuition-free for international students through structured scholarship programmes and targeted university waivers. The most critical of these is the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship, a national programme funded by the Hungarian government which covers 100 % of tuition costs and often includes a monthly stipend and housing support for eligible students at participating universities.
At the same time, several Hungarian public universities maintain very low base tuition, and many of them participate in scholarship schemes that make actual cost to you zero or near-zero once awards are applied.
What sets Hungary apart is that public universities are affordable even without scholarships, and when combined with government or university-level funding, the total cost of attendance can become negligible. With Hungary offering hundreds of English-taught programmes across a range of fields — from engineering and business to medicine and the arts — the prospect of a tuition-free European degree becomes far more than an ideal: it becomes a strategic, achievable goal for many international applicants.
This guide will carefully map out which Hungarian universities are tuition-free in practice, what scholarships make that possible, how to access these funds, and how this compares with other countries — all structured in rich detail over multiple sections. You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how Hungary’s higher education ecosystem can offer education without traditional tuition costs, how to position yourself to win those opportunities, and how this compares with other European destinations.
Hungary Scholarships That Make Education Free for International Students
Hungary doesn’t operate a blanket tuition exemption for all students in the public system in the way that Germany or Norway does, but it does offer structured, government-backed scholarships that can lead to fully covered study, including tuition, living support, and sometimes accommodation benefits. The most prominent of these is the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship — widely regarded as the main avenue for international students to study in Hungary with tuition fully covered.
The Stipendium Hungaricum programme is a government-funded initiative open to students from over 90 countries. It covers full tuition fees across undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels, and also includes a monthly stipend for living expenses, health insurance, and sometimes dormitory accommodation or housing allowance. The stipend is structured to support students beyond just classroom costs, enabling them to live and study in Hungary without worrying about the day-to-day financial burden that often accompanies studying abroad.
This scholarship is competitive but structured through official Hungarian channels and partner organisations in applicant countries. Deadlines typically fall in the early part of the year (often January) for intake in the upcoming academic cycle, and applicants must meet both academic and documentation requirements to be eligible. The programme’s broad reach — encompassing Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD degrees — means that the potential to study tuition-free is not limited to just one level of study.
In addition to Stipendium Hungaricum, university-level scholarships and merit awards can contribute to tuition-free study. For example, institutions like Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and Corvinus University of Budapest run excellence scholarships that can cover partial or full tuition for strong applicants, often layered atop national scholarships or bilateral agreements.
Other programmes, such as Erasmus+ for EU/EEA students or bilateral state funding agreements, provide additional pathways for students to study without tuition charges — either through direct coverage or through grants that reimburse tuition altogether. These supplemental avenues expand the tuition-free possibilities beyond government scholarship slots into exchange and partnership arrangements that make studying in Hungary entirely free or cheaply subsidised for a wide range of students.
Tuition-Free Universities in Hungary (Scholarship and Waiver Options)
Below we explore specific universities in Hungary where you can access tuition-free or near-tuition-free study through scholarships or institutional policies, along with the contexts in which those free options apply.
Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE)
Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary’s oldest and one of its largest universities, offers a broad array of English-taught programmes across humanities, sciences, law, social sciences, and education. On its own, ELTE typically charges tuition for international students, but when you secure a scholarship like the Stipendium Hungaricum or certain university merit awards, your tuition is fully covered — effectively making your degree tuition-free.
ELTE’s standing as a research-intensive institution means that scholarship slots are often competitive, but the university’s inclusion in national scholarship schemes ensures that international students from diverse regions (Africa, Asia, the Americas) can access education without paying tuition. It also participates in bilateral programmes that extend further funding and support beyond the central government scholarship, providing additional routes to free education.
A key advantage of ELTE’s system is that programmes are English-taught across multiple faculties, meaning you don’t need Hungarian language proficiency to benefit from tuition-free opportunities, provided you meet the scholarship criteria and academic requirements — a crucial point for many international applicants.
Students who win full scholarships at ELTE often also receive living stipends and housing support, effectively covering the core costs of study and significantly lowering the barrier of entry for students who might otherwise hesitate due to financial constraints.
Importantly, ELTE also works with exchange schemes such as Erasmus+, which can temporarily make study free for exchange students while retaining credit transfer back to home institutions — another route to tuition-free experience for short-term international learners.
Other Universities Where Tuition Can Be Covered (Through Scholarships or Waivers)
Beyond ELTE, several other Hungarian universities participate in the national scholarship ecosystem — and more importantly, provide students with effective tuition-free options when scholarships are secured.
At the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), one of Europe’s oldest technical institutions, international students may secure full or partial tuition waivers through excellence and government scholarship programmes, especially for engineering and technology fields where competition for scholarship slots is robust.
University of Szeged, widely recognised for its science, medicine, and humanities programmes, also offers scholarship-based pathways that cover tuition entirely. Scholarships like Stipendium Hungaricum and university-based awards make tuition effectively zero for many international candidates, and because Szeged participates in multiple funding schemes, options for tuition-free study exist across a range of disciplines.
The University of Debrecen, another historic public university with strong international enrolment, similarly participates in Hungary’s scholarship frameworks. By securing programmes like Stipendium Hungaricum, tuition costs that would normally apply to international students are eliminated, and support can extend to monthly stipends, housing, and cultural integration funding, thereby making study truly tuition-free in practice.
The University of Pécs and the Central European University (CEU) also offer structured scholarship options that remove tuition costs for successful applicants. CEU, in particular, is well-known for fully funded scholarships covering tuition and living expenses for Master’s and PhD tracks, making high-quality, interdisciplinary study tuition-free at the point of delivery.
Even smaller institutions like Óbuda University and Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences provide tuition-free opportunities for international students through scholarship participation — though specific terms vary by discipline and scholarship competitiveness.
The key across all these universities is the requirement to secure funding — usually competitive and with eligibility criteria — but once that funding is in place, tuition costs are fully covered, which is the practical definition of tuition-free study in Hungary’s context.
Tuition-Free Hungary vs Global Alternatives
Tuition-Free Study Opportunities in Hungary (Scholarship-Based)
| University | Scholarship Pathway | Tuition Covered? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELTE (Eötvös Loránd) | Stipendium Hungaricum, University Awards | Yes | Covers full tuition + stipend possible |
| BME (Budapest Tech) | National & Merit Scholarships | Yes | Especially engineering |
| Univ. of Szeged | Government Scholarships | Yes | Multiple English programmes |
| Univ. of Debrecen | Stipendium Hungaricum | Yes | Large scholarship intake |
| Central European Univ. | CEU Merit & Govt Funding | Yes | Especially Masters/PhD |
| Óbuda Univ./Pannon Univ. | Scholarship Schemes | Yes | Smaller but supported |
Tuition-Free Hungary vs Europe (2026 Comparison)
| Country/Model | Tuition Policy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hungary (Scholarship-Based) | Tuition fully covered with scholarships | Via Stipendium Hungaricum + university awards |
| Germany (Public) | Tuition-free at most public universities | Only admin fees (small) for most courses |
| France (Public) | Very low public tuition | Often subsidised for all students |
| UK | High tuition | Scholarships available but generally paid upfront |
| Netherlands | Moderate tuition | Reduced with some scholarships |
These tables frame Hungary’s unique combination of scholarship-driven tuition-free study alongside European models where public tuition is either waived (as in Germany) or heavily subsidised (as in France), and contrasted with higher-cost contexts like the UK.
How to Qualify and Increase Your Odds of Tuition-Free Study in Hungary
Securing fully covered tuition in Hungary — whether through the Stipendium Hungaricum or university awards — is competitive, and requires a combination of academic preparation, strategic application, timing, and documentation.
First, you’ll need a strong academic profile. Most scholarships — especially Stipendium Hungaricum and university merit awards — prioritise students with high achievement in prior studies. This means solid high school results for bachelor’s applicants and strong undergraduate records for graduate candidates. Many Hungarian scholarships also require detailed motivation letters and references to assess your potential contribution.
Second, understanding and meeting application deadlines is crucial. Government scholarships like Stipendium Hungaricum often have strict windows — usually early in the year — and missing those dates can mean losing the chance to study tuition-free that year. Preparing your documentation early, including transcripts, CVs, and proof of language proficiency, is essential to being considered.
Third, having official sponsorship or endorsement from a partner organisation in your home country can strengthen your application for government scholarships, as these programmes sometimes operate through bilateral agreements. Engaging with the official scholarship portal and understanding eligibility criteria for your country is a strategic priority.
Fourth, you can leverage university-specific awards that complement national scholarships. Some institutions offer volume or excellence scholarships that either cover tuition outright or reduce it significantly. Aligning your programme choice with scholarship opportunities (e.g., engineering at BME or social sciences at Corvinus) may improve your chances of securing awards.
Finally, if you don’t secure full coverage initially, many students combine multiple scholarships — such as a partial university waiver plus an Erasmus+ exchange grant — to achieve an effective tuition-free semester or year. Planning your pathway early and being flexible about programmes or entry points enhances your chances of minimising overall costs.
What Tuition-Free Study Looks Like in Practice
For many international students, tuition-free study in Hungary isn’t just theoretical — it’s lived reality. Students who secure the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship frequently describe a transition where tuition is no longer a burden, and monthly stipends and housing support allow them to focus on academic exploration, cultural integration, and networking without the constant pressure of tuition debt.
In practice, this means being able to attend top Hungarian universities — such as ELTE, BME, Szeged, or Debrecen — where English-taught programmes are delivered alongside robust student services, international clubs, and research opportunities. Because Hungary’s public universities participate actively in international networks, students often find themselves collaborating across borders, contributing to EU frameworks, and building careers with a global lens.
For example, engineering students at BME report access to laboratories and industry partnerships while having their tuition fully covered through a combination of government and university scholarships. Similarly, students at CEU describe how fully funded master’s and PhD programmes allow them to participate in cross-disciplinary research without worrying about tuition bills.
The lived experience also includes navigating budgeting for living costs — such as accommodation, food, transport, and health insurance — but because tuition isn’t on the monthly statement, students can reallocate their energy toward immersive learning and professional development. These experiences reflect tuition-free study beyond a promotional tagline; they demonstrate real financial relief and academic opportunity.
For many, this is the defining feature of studying abroad in Hungary: a world-class European education that does not carry the hefty price tag found in many Western European or North American systems, making Hungary a unique and compelling destination in the global study abroad landscape.
The Bottom Line
Hungary may not have a blanket public tuition-free policy for all international students, but the combination of government scholarships like Stipendium Hungaricum, university merit waivers, and multilateral funding schemes creates a landscape where tuition-free study is genuinely possible. Through structured applications, strong academic preparation, and strategic use of scholarship opportunities, many international students study in Hungary without paying traditional tuition costs.
With universities such as ELTE, BME, University of Szeged, University of Debrecen, University of Pécs, and Central European University participating in these pathways, the potential for a fully funded European education — complete with a stipend and accommodation support — is real and within reach for students worldwide.
Hungary’s model — blending affordable base tuition with generous scholarships — makes it a standout destination for cost-sensitive students seeking quality education in the heart of Europe.